Price: $7,399 and up
Claimed weight: 47.7 lb.
Santa Cruz just brought back its mid-travel mountain bike, the Heckler, a once-popular trail model that’s been on hold since 2016. This time, it’s turbocharged. The brand has been one of the last to introduce an e-mountain bike but, given the company's popularity in Europe (and Euro-based owners), it seemed an assisted bike was inevitable. The bike sits solidly in the e-trail category with 150mm of rear travel, 160mm up front, 27.5-inch wheels (not too dissimilar from the current Bronson) and has a mid-mount Shimano Steps E8000 motor.
E-MTB touches include a custom handlebar that hides Di2 wires for a clean aesthetic and a battery cover that attaches via 4mm hex keys rather than a proprietary key. And Santa Cruz says it has reduced anti-squat to adjust for the extra weight and torque, improving traction while pedaling and riding over rough terrain.
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Santa Cruz wanted a playful e-experience, and the bike’s geometry reflects that. The relatively slack head angle (65.5-degrees) is middle-of-the-road and 445mm chainstays are actually pretty tight for an e-bike; the stays have to make room to accommodate the motor around the bottom bracket.
Santa Cruz is using it’s top-end CC carbon on all versions of the bike to keep weight low. It comes in four build options, the cheapest of which is the R build for $7,399. It’s also available with Santa Cruz Reserve 30 carbon wheels, and 12-speed SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS for $13,099. The Heckler is comes in sizes small through XXL.
Riley is a writer and outdoor adventure guide currently based in Tucson, Arizona where she leads mountain bike rides, rock climbing, and hiking trips. In her spare time, she writes stories and reviews outdoor and fitness gear. Find her writing in publications including Outside, Lonely Planet, SHAPE, Bicycling, Runner’s World, and others. When she’s not playing in the mountains, she’s probably laying down somewhere or eating (or both).
